Forster is getting calls concerning their Tap-a-cap cap maker

[mooman76]

I bought some cheap ones years ago and they weren't even round where the powder was. They would go off as I was punching them out. Caused a chain reaction with the ones already punched. I learned from that one and bought better caps.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I like the idea but i was thinking of a different angle , why not try to use large rifle primers

I was looking at it and took a large rifle primer and put it in the cup of my hammer , i had to hold it at the right angle then pull the trigger and when it slammed down on the nipple it fired

I suppose the biggest problem would be that it would more or less mean changing out the hammer , and nipple but it you made a nipple that held large pistol or rifle primer , or another idea would be to make a nipple that cut down 25 acp brass fit over you could cut down a dozen pieces of brass with drilled out flash holes , then have the hammer strike the center by drilling and tapping into the hammer and adding a pointed hex head into the hammer then priming could be fast and use conventional primers they should have plenty of fire to set off 3fg

but this was just me thinking , large pistol and large rifle primers seem like they are easy enough to find again , maybe more so than just the right brand of caps each time

[Freightman]

Just buy a Mag-Spark SG primers are easy enough to find, also keeps the crud off the stock, got tired of looking and got them for my rifles. Save the caps for revolvers

[Texantothecore]

Part of this project is due to the high cost of primers and powder and it will take me out of the overpriced gun and supply market which I feel will remain high-priced for at least 4 to 6 years. The ability to make my own caps is the last piece of the project. I should be able to shoot all day for about 6 dollars.

I also am going to be shooting with 10 children in the same family and it may get as expensive as....say 10 bucks!

All of them love to shoot but the cost of ammo is really restricting their shooting activity. This is the solution. They are my nieces and nephews and this is a gift I am going to be able to give them which will they will really appreciate.

[Texantothecore]

The next piece of this project is to order a '51 Navy pistol in .36 cal and to build a target box which is filled with rubber mulch for lead recovery. I will be ordering 55 lbs of pig lead to complete it. It should get me about 4000 rounds to begin with.

I hope they will enjoy shooting black powder for the rest of their lives.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I can understand that and I definitely appreciate the research yall do , cost is definitely a factor I bought what i though would be near a life time supply of caps 600 for my one caplock december 15 2012 at 4 dollars a tin for cci #11 since then I bought a second caplock , and we have been shooting them more , now next time I see any at a reasonable price I will be buying 1000 maybe more

I have a few pounds of powder , but have been looking at the making black powder sticky also

but for my 4H muzzle loading I will have to just find a stock of caps and keep buying powder , I cast for the kids and cut patches but I don't think rules let them run home made powder or caps

one of the other leaders mistakenly bought 500 #10 caps that has me thinking some #10 nipples would be more cost effective to use them up a nipple is only 3-4 dollars

[Texantothecore]

I can understand that and I hdefinitely appreciate the research yall do , cost is definitely a factor I bought what i though would be near a life time supply of caps 600 for my one caplock december 15 2012 at 4 dollars a tin for cci #11 since then I bought a second caplock , and we have been shooting them more , now next time I see any at a reasonable price I will be buying 1000 maybe more

I have a few pounds of powder , but have been looking at the making black powder sticky also

but for my 4H muzzle loading I will have to just find a stock of caps and keep buying powder , I cast for the kids and cut patches but I don't think rules let them run home made powder or caps

one of the other leaders mistakenly bought 500 #10 caps that has me thinking some #10 nipples would be more cost effective to use them up a nipple is only 3-4 dollars

After you get through with sticky thread read this extremely well focused one:


Http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t=diy+bp+gurus


There is a lot of detail which is missing in the sticky thread including part numbers for various tools and such. The contributors were very generous with their knowledge and I am now making my own black powder for about 2.26 a lb.

[Freightman]

Been making my own BP for a year or more. And I am working on a nipple to use a .22 case cut down we shall see.

[Texantothecore]

Freightman,
I just received some information that leads me to believe that an empty .22lr may not be possible to use safely in a pistol. Even when the top of the case is drilled it does not operate as caps are designed to work. Be very careful as there is no venting down the side of the cap. I am going to ask the sender to post his pictures of fired factory caps and then we can comment on them. It may be of help to you.

[Texantothecore]

Green,
You have a PM.

[ofitg]

Freightman,
I just received some information that leads me to believe that an empty .22lr may not be possible to use safely in a pistol. Even when the top of the case is drilled it does not operate as caps are designed to work. Be very careful as there is no venting down the side of the cap. I am going to ask the sender to post his pictures of fired factory caps and then we can comment on them. It may be of help to you.

TTTC, here's a shot of factory caps fired in a Pietta "Colt Navy" revolver - it's quite common for the cap skirts to split and blossom outward, but it doesn't seem to affect the ignition of the main charge -




The photo also illustrates how the slot in the Colt's hammer face allows the rear surface of the cap to bulge and sometimes rupture (again, no apparent affect on ignition of the main charge). The slot in the hammer face is designed to engage short pins on the rear of the cylinder, located between the nipples - this was a "somewhat" safe way to leave the hammer down on a fully-loaded cylinder.

[Texantothecore]

Thanks for the great pictures. The caps are much more damaged than I would have thought but they seem to be operating as designed.

So I am not going to worry about busted caps.

[n.h.schmidt]

I have been tinkering away in the basement for a while. I have made my own version of the Tap -O-Cap for reloading presses.They were called the Auto-Cap. Getting the sawtooth edge on the punch was a struggle but eventually worked out. I have been punching out double layered cap cups for a couple of weeks. It's easy and fast enough for me to consider selling the cups to experimenters. With the practice of a small amt of BP under a toy pistol cap found to work by me and others. Making your own percussion caps is now more rewarding. I may run a add in swapping and selling soon to sell the just the cups. Good luck to all who are working on this.
n.h.schmidt

[ofitg]

Nice work, N.H. Schmidt! If you could find a machinist to make more copies of your homemade Auto-Cap, you shouldn't have any problem finding buyers.

[Texantothecore]

N.H.,
I bumped into a reference the other day to your technique. It was apparently used with artillery and it was extremely consistent method of initating ignition. So apparently it was used very successfully for many years for the big dawgs.

[n.h.schmidt]

I could make the die as it currenty exists. Most wouldn't like the looks or the cost. Most would like the fast production though. I suppose it could be reworked to be better looking and fit more presses.
You guys using the caps made with the pie plate and drill press.Has anyone used these caps to fire a gun yet? I'm always interested in this kind of thing.
n.h.schmidt

[Texantothecore]

I would think that the utility of your auto cap would outweigh any aesthetic concerns.

[ofitg]

I usually load caps with a homemade primer compound, but I've read about folks using a pinch of BP under a toy cap, so I had to give that a try. First I made a tiny powder measure by "tapping" a 2-56 machine screw into a soft plastic tube..... the plastic tube was cut from the ink cartridge in a ballpoint pen -



I backed the plastic piece off the screw 10 turns.... that makes the opening about 0.18 inches deep. I scooped up some finely-crushed BP "dust" with this tiny powder measure and dumped it into a Tap-O-Cap hull. The hull was formed from a single layer of soft "disposable pie pan" aluminum.
Next I seated a toy cap center over the BP (the cap was a German-made "Legends of the Wild West" cap). The powder and the cap took up approximately 1/4 of the volume in the Tap-O-Cap hull, so there was still adequate "skirt" length to grab a nipple.

On the first try, this combo ignited the main charge in a repro .41 sidelock derringer. Yes sir, it works fine, and I have every expectation that it would work on the "straight through" flame path in a percussion revolver.

The cap hull was not seriously deformed. The skirts did not spread out much; there are no visible splits or ruptures in the metal.

[Texantothecore]

I usually load caps with a homemade primer compound, but I've read about folks using a pinch of BP under a toy cap, so I had to give that a try. First I made a tiny powder measure by "tapping" a 2-56 machine screw into a soft plastic tube..... the plastic tube was cut from the ink cartridge in a ballpoint pen -



I backed the plastic piece off the screw 10 turns.... that makes the opening about 0.18 inches deep. I scooped up some finely-crushed BP "dust" with this tiny powder measure and dumped it into a Tap-O-Cap hull. The hull was formed from a single layer of soft "disposable pie pan" aluminum.
Next I seated a toy cap center over the BP (the cap was a German-made "Legends of the Wild West" cap). The powder and the cap took up approximately 1/4 of the volume in the Tap-O-Cap hull, so there was still adequate "skirt" length to grab a nipple.

On the first try, this combo ignited the main charge in a repro .41 sidelock derringer. Yes sir, it works fine, and I have every expectation that it would work on the "straight through" flame path in a percussion revolver.

The cap hull was not seriously deformed. The skirts did not spread out much; there are no visible splits or ruptures in the metal.

Great technique, data and pictures! Thanks for the post.

I may keep a small amount of my currently grinding meal for this use. Wouldn't be much, but it would be fast ignition.

Does anyone have a different technique or equipment?

[Mike 56]

ofitg, I made one of your scoops and just got done making a few caps to try. I am going to load a few wax bullets and try them out in my 51 Colt revolver in my backyard.